VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 23 Valdosta State women's basketball team is scheduled to host the 2021 VSU Thanksgiving Classic, Friday and Saturday at The Complex.  This year's edition features four quality programs, including the Lady Blazers, Columbus State, Eckerd and No. 16 Bentley (Mass.).
 
The tournament is scheduled for two games both Friday and Saturday beginning at 12 p.m., each day.  On Friday, VSU will battle Columbus State at 12 p.m., followed by Eckerd versus Bentley at 2 p.m.  Saturday's games feature a ranked matchup between VSU and Bentley at 12 p.m. and the tournament concludes with Columbus State facing Eckerd at 2 p.m.
 
Check back with vstateblazers.com on the women's basketball schedule page for links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more.
 
The Lady Blazers (2-1) suffered their first defeat of the season in a disappointing home loss to Georgia College on Saturday, 56-45.  In the loss, sophomore Tamiya Francis had a team-high 15 points and five rebounds on 5 of 15 from the field, 2 of 9 from range and 3 of 4 from the line.  She added three steals and two assists in all 40 minutes of action.  VSU shot a season-low 28.8 percent from the field on 15 of 52, while going 5 of 22 from beyond the arc and 10 of 11 from the line.  Francis was the only Lady Blazer in double figures.  The Lady Blazers held a 29-27 lead at halftime, but were outscored 29-16 in the second half.  
 
This season, the Lady Blazers are averaging 60.7 points per game and allowing 51.3 per contest.  VSU is shooting at a 35.8 percent clip on 58 of 162 from the field, while holding teams to a 33.3 average on 55 of 165.  VSU is 20 of 76 from beyond the arc and 48 of 64 from the line for a 71.9 percent average.  VSU is two made free throws shy of making more than the opponent has attempted (32-48).  The Lady Blazers are averaging 38.3 rebounds per game and allowing 37.7 per contest.  
 
Individually, Francis leads the team averaging 16.0 points per game on 16 of 34 from the field for a 47.1 clip.  She is 8 of 21 from distance to lead the team and 8 of 12 from the line, along with 11 assists, and ten steals.  Francis is second on the team in rebounding at 6.3 per game.  Graduate student Kwajelin Farrar is averaging 12.7 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game to lead the team.  Farrar is 15 of 30 from the field and 8 of 12 from the line, along with six assists, two blocks and two steals.  Sophomore Jirah Ards is third in scoring at 7.7 points per game and leads the team from the line at 13 of 16.  She has five assists and three steals on the year, while averaging 4.3 rebounds per game for third on the team.
 
VSU is under the direction of third year head coach Deandra Schirmer as she is 38-16 during her time in Titletown.  Schirmer was named Gulf South Conference East Division Coach of the Year in 2021.  
 
Columbus State enters with a perfect 5-0 record after an 83-55 thumping of Montevallo on the road on Tuesday.  CSU broke open a 17-16 deficit in the second quarter, outscoring the Falcons 18-0 and then 26-16 in the third quarter and 23-12 in the fourth for the victory.  Chrisalyn Boston had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Cougars on 7 of 9 from the field, along with three blocks and two steals leading three players in double figures.  CSU held UM to just 33.3 percent shooting on 20 of 60 from the field and 3 of 16 from range, while UM was 12 of 22 from the line.  Columbus State held a 45-34 lead in rebounding.
 
For the season, the Cougars were picked sixth in the Preseason Peach Belt Conference poll.  Boston, who earned All-PBC honors last season highlights six returnees for third-year head coach Matt Houser.  Boston averaged 10.8 points and 10.4 rebounds in eight outings last season.  Olonna Rawls and Emilia Tenbrock averaged 13.8 points per game and 13.5 points per game, respectively, after leading the team in scoring a season ago.  CSU downed Division I Charleston Southern 70-58 in an exhibition game on Nov. 6 this season.
 
This season, CSU is averaging 78.0 points per game and allowing 51.4 points per contest, while the Cougars are shooting at a 43.7 clip on 149 of 341, while holding the opposition to a 37.5 clip on 100 of 267.  The Cougars are 23 of 99 from range and 69 of 131 from the line, while averaging 41.4 rebounds per game and holding teams to a 37.6 clip.  
 
VSU is 2-1 in the last three meetings with Columbus State dating back to Nov. 23, 2010.  The Blazers have won two-straight in the series, both in Valdosta, including a 69-59 victory on Nov. 30, 2019.  
 
Bentley didn't compete in the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and is 3-0 on the season, following a 62-51 victory Tuesday at Stonehill, who was ranked in the Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Top 25.  Bentley outscored Stonehill 42-29 in the second half for the victory as the Falcons were led by Autumn Ceppi with 11 points, while Maggie Whitmore added ten points. 
 
The Falcons were picked second in the Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division this season under second year head coach C White.  White was a longtime assistant to Barbara Stevens and the team has five players back from Stevens' final team, which finished 19-9 in 2019-20.  Kari Brekke, an All-Northeast-10 third team selection and 2020 NE10 Rookie of the Year Ella Thompson also returns.
 
Brekke leads the team averaging 16.0 points per game, while Ceppi is second in scoring at 13.0 points per game and Thompson is third at 11.0 points per contest.  The Falcons are averaging 76 points per game and allowing 47.3 per contest this season.  The team is shooting 50.3 percent from the field.  Bentley is outrebounding the opposition 40.3-31.3 for the season.
 
Eckerd College enters with a 1-0 record after a 42-29 victory at Lynn on Saturday.  The Tritons had ten points from Lauryn Vieira along with seven rebounds.  The game was tied 25-25 through three quarters, but the Tritons finished the fourth quarter with a 17-4 spurt for the victory.  Eckerd held Lynn to 7 of 52 from the field for the game (13.5%) and 2 of 18 from beyond the arc.  Lynn was 13 of 18 from the line, while Eckerd was 1 of 2 from the stripe.
The Tritons will battle Bentley on Friday at 2 p.m. and then face Columbus State at 2 p.m. on Saturday.  Schirmer was an assistant coach at Eckerd for Paul Honsinger for five years, before she came to Titletown as head coach in 2019.  
 
Following the tournament this weekend, VSU makes its first road trip of the season on Tues., Nov. 30 at Georgia Southwestern, before returning home to open Gulf South Conference play with rival West Georgia on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. at The Complex.